Takeaways

Thanks to technology, it's easier than ever to consume and follow the sports we enjoy.

As a student-athlete, emerging technologies are being incorporated into my training every day. These technologies may not be adapted at the collegiate level as quickly as the pros, but they are still happening at a rapid pace.

Sports and fitness are a part of so many people’s lives, and increasingly so. Whatever your involvement level in sports, information is becoming more accessible by the minute. It’s all at our fingertips—fitness tracking, fine-tuned personal workout plans, time management tools—and that’s just in reference to individual fitness.

People can eat, sleep, and breathe sports without stepping foot on the field. It’s becoming significantly easier for spectators to track information about their favorite teams and players—information they may not have even known they would want. In my experience, online streaming of games is changing the way spectator sports are defined, making it possible to keep up with teams in real time instead of playing catchup.

In my experience, online streaming of games is changing the way spectator sports are defined, making it possible to keep up with teams in real time instead of playing catchup.

Throughout my four years of college baseball, I have seen this change and benefited from it. Attending a school on the other side of my state made coming to games harder for my parents than when my high school was right across town. My parents wanted nothing more than to be able to come to my college games.

During the beginning of my college career, certain schools were dabbling in the area of live game stats, keeping those who could not attend in the know to a certain extent. This taste of inclusion left my parents asking me every series, “Will we be able to follow online?”

Eventually I was able to answer that question with confidence as live game stats became the right of passage into the wonderful world of sporting technology. Of course, by the time it was adapted by my school, more advanced technology had emerged. Games started being live streamed and my parents were able to watch my games in real time, making them feel even more involved in my games and in my life.

The option to livestream games has opened so many doors for families and friends who want to be part of the action. The inclusion of livestream and other technologies in sports have tremendously benefited the player and spectator experience and continue to do so, with no signs of slowing down.

Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in exploring the future of sports and fitness. Register for the SPORTS FORWARD summit here.